LOVE Four Letter Word School Rumble
by Rogeta
Summary: A HarimaxEri fanfiction. Please note that this is my very FIRST fanfiction, so please don't go TOO hard on me... The theme and title of this story is based off the song L.O.V.E. Four Letter Word by Billy Squier. Please give honest reviews. Enjoy!
1. Chapter I   LOVE Four Letter Word

DISCLAMIER: I do not own School Rumble or the songs mentioned here. Constructive criticism and reviews are welcome!

L.O.V.E. Four Letter Word

After high school graduation, with the load of all the exams and college life, there is one thing that shadows every young grad's mind. That is love. That inevitable feeling that takes over one's mind sometime in their lives. When that happens, people tend to act out of nature, and finds out things about themselves that they never thought was true. For two certain individuals, that is exactly what happened.

_"Forget your illusions…forget what they say. Cause all your dreams of happiness, have just blown away. Once in a lifetime, you spirit will fly. That's what she told me before she told me goodbye."_ Those lyrics along with an acoustic guitar flowed into the couple of men at the local bar. "Heyyy…Kenji! I didn't know you played that American crapp!" An intoxicated bar-goer said to Harima Kenji, who worked part time as an entertainer at the local bar.

"Well I don't really care about the Americans, but I really can relate to that song old man…", Harima Kenji said to the old man sitting at one of the bar stools," That song is one of my favorites..."

"Well Harima-san, thanks for tonight," the bartender said, "You can leave now, and here is your well-deserved paycheck."

"Thanks boss, I'll be here 'morrow," Harima told the bartender as he left the bar. It was a few years after high school graduation, and Harima Kenji living on solely the pay of his odd jobs and his un-popular manga. He was feeling pretty crappy at the moment, and he wished that something big would happen. _"God damn it…" _Harima thought_," that crap-load of a cousin Itoko can't be at the least nice in her life! She kicks me outta the apartment, and leaves me to these sad jobs and my dying manga."_ Harima walked to his usual place. He sometimes went to his apartment, but for some reason, he didn't feel like going all that way, so he decided to do what he used to do back in his junior high days: go and rest up in some alley in some abandoned street for the night.

After purchasing a light dinner, Harima retreated to a dark alley in the Tokyo streets. He set up a small bed using an old mattress he rummaged from an old dumpster. As he lay down on the soggy mattress, he looked up at the beautiful starry sky, which brought back so many memories. All those memories flooded his small mind, the fights, the good times, bad times, love. When he remembered love, he let out a grunt. Harima thought of Tenma, how he loved her more than anything, and all those terrible misunderstandings.

When Harima left to go on his journey, he swore that he would never think of any of this again, that the word "love" would be meaningless to him. He strictly lived by that golden rule now, that love was just a word, it didn't exist…at least for him. Now some reddening feelings were making its way back into Harima. More memories came to the front. He remembered the night when he went to this one girl's house, and how he shared an embrace with her that night, and how he technically became her fiancé. He remembered how she opened his eyes, and how he became a new person after their encounters. He then wished he could see her again, even a small moment would be enough. "Heh…," Harima whispered, "Ojo…"

_About an hour before the explained events._

"Ha ha ha ha! So he really did that?" Suou Mikoto said to her friend as she laughed.

"Yup! He's SO talented!" Tenma Tsukamoto exclaimed to her friends. It was a reunion for four high school friends at their favorite coffee shop, Akira, Mikoto, Eri, and Tenma. A few years after Tenma moved to the United States, they have had numerous reunions. They were currently talking about Tenma's boyfriend, Karasuma.

"So Miko-chan! How is Hanai doing! Tenma asked Mikoto.

"Ah, he is doing very well," Mikoto revealed," He is currently going for a major in politics!"

"Well, he WAS always interested in that kind of stuff…" Tenma replied.

"So Eri-chan! How's YOUR love life going?" Mikoto asked as she moved in a little closer to Eri with a sly smile plastered on her face.

"Eh…Why are you asking ME?" Eri said with an unusual loud tone, with a shade of red appearing, "Why don't you ask Akira about hers?"

"No changing the subject," Takano Akira said with a mysterious aura.

"W-well…I recently dated a guy from the computer business department…"Eri said with a tone of embarrassment.

"Tenma and Mikoto edged even closer. "Really! How was he?" They begged for an answer.

"He was…an ass. The usual type of guy that thinks he loves a girl, but gets caught making out with some other damn person."

"Aww…" Tenma and Mikoto let out a sigh. "Well it's hard to find the right guy I guess." The pair said in unison. Eri couldn't really take any more of this, so she decided it was time to leave.

"I-…I have a very important meeting tomorrow, and I must get some rest. Please excuse me!" Eri started to get up. By the look on her friends faces, the easily deciphered that she was obviously lying. They understood though. "See you guys later, bye!" Eri spoke as she headed for the exit.

"Good bye!" The three friends said in sort of unison. Eri walked out of the store then. She could have called her trustworthy butler, Nakamura to pick her up, but Eri told him to take a day off. Eri knew he wouldn't, but wanted to respect what she said to him. Eri then decided that it was time to walk home. During the journey back, she pondered deeply on love.

"_So many of my colleagues are moving on, getting into relationships," Eri thought to herself," Why can't I get lucky too? Does god hate me? I am one of the richest people in Japan, I have a great personality, I have a good education, and I'm beautiful! How is it so hard! All those negative thoughts flooded her delicate mind like rain. She really couldn't take any more of this. "If only he was here… The only man that I really…, what am I thinking? I will never get anybody…I am just condemned to the sad fate I have received… Love is just a four lettered word…"Eri started feeling even more down than usual. "Boy, do I HATE men…"_

Eri then decided to take some shortcuts through backstreets and alleys to reach home faster, as in her current state of mind; all she wanted to do was take a long and hot shower, and then sleep. It started to drizzle, but then it was transformed into a fierce downpour. _"Crap! I thought life couldn't get ANY worse!"_ the umbrella-less Eri thought as she started to run. Eri then looked at the rain closely, and realized something. She is like that rain. It just keeps falling, and though it will get back up for a while, its destiny will make it continue to fall for eternity. Eri was deeply saddened at that thought, but before she could get any more pissed, she took a fall in one of the alleys. She didn't even try to break her fall. There was an echoed "THUD!" as her body met the ground.

Eri couldn't even get up, that's how much it hurt. Not just the physical damage, but the mental damage as well. "I…I hate myself…"Eri thought, "I wish I would just die…" Then all of a sudden, a small footstep was heard, and then an extremely large hand was set close to her face.

"Hey girl, are you alright? Let me help ya up." The man said. Eri took one look at the nice man who wanted to help her, and when she met eye contact, she almost screamed.

"H-H-Hige!" she stammered.

"Ojo!" The man said, who was obviously Harima. "What a coincidence Ojo! You've stumbled upon my little resting place." Harima said with some dignity, though most of it was lost.

"R-really? Eri managed to say with a red face," So you live in the alley ways?"

"No," Harima said," I just like to relieve some old times once in a while."

"O-oh…" Eri couldn't speak a bit. Here she was thinking about love, and the man she..."

"So Ojo, what the hell are you doing out here?" Harima asked her, with a questioning look in his eyes, which hadn't had the usual sunglasses on. Harima thought, _"Wow, I was thinking about love, then she appears."_

"I was just getting back to my home" Eri stated. At this moment, Eri desperately wanted Harima to ask her to let him walk her to her home. She'd say no, saying thank you, and then leaving. Then Harima would grab her hand and insist to take her home, and that it was very dangerous to be alone at this time. Then they would have this nice little romantic walk, the perfect clichéd scene. Her warm thoughts were then suddenly interrupted by Harima.

"Well nice seeing you again Ojo…, but I think you should head home now…"Harima told Eri with a sort of serious look on his face.

"_The NERVE of him!" Eri thought to herself as she began to walk out of the alley, "I was a complete IDIOT to think that I thought he would do that!" _

As Eri began to leave, she felt a very warm hand grab hers. She looked back, and Harima was right in front of her, turning her face all red. "Hey Ojo... I think I should walk you home…It gets pretty dangerous out here at this time, you know?"


	2. Chapter II  Psycho Killer

AUTHORS NOTE: Well the second chapter is here! If you've noticed, the rating for this fanfic has been changed from T to M. This is due to the events that happen in this chapter. Also, I'd like to give a shout out to my friend camoy, who helped me edit and helped with ideas. The next thing is, the chapter might be a little different than you expected. Even so, I hope you enjoy it! Lastly, I'd like to thank the people who reviewed and favorited my fanfic. Thanks a lot, and even though I probably didn't meet your wishes, I hope you don't mind. Rogeta out.

DISCLAMER:I do not own School Rumble, or the songs mentioned here. They all belong to their respective owners.

Chapter II—Psycho Killer.

Eri thought that God was playing tricks on her when Harima held her hand. She really couldn't believe what she just heard. "So Ojo...you up for it?" Harima asked again.

_"What the hell am I doing?,Harima thought," Did I seriously just ask Ojo to let me walk her home? This is like one of those freaking' cliched love stories!... Aw, well I guess I need to act like a man and stay true to my word...I abandoned love a long time ago..." _Harima's thoughts were like bees, buzzing through his mind. Before those bees could buzz longer, however, Eri interrupted.

"I guess that's okay..." Eri told Harima quietly. _"What the hell am I doing?, Eri thought," Did I seriously just tell Hige that he could walk me home? Well, I don't think it's that bad... I walked with him once before...I never turned into...Oh never mind that! I need to get home. Nakamura will be worried..."_ Eri tried to change the subject in her mind, but it failed.

Harima started to walk out of the alley. He knew where Eri's place was, it was so big. Eri soon followed him onto the wet sidewalk. The first five minutes were pretty bleak, since the two were red like paint. Neither of them gave an inch, but Harima made the first move. "S-so Ojo... How have you been?" Harima asked her awkwardly.

"W-well...I have risen to the status of heir of the Sawachika estate... I travel all over the world on business...",She decided to tell him something that could turn out bad."I recently even went to the United States..."

Just like that, a little bulb of light clicked in Harima's mind. All those feelings, emotions, and thoughts of the past were returning. It felt like it was yesterday. At that moment, he had to ask her. But he couldn't ask her so specifically, so he asked her casually.

"Hey...so how is Ten-I mean Tsukamoto doing?" He messed up her name, even years after high school.

Eri shot a look at him. "Oh, she's doing fine I guess...I think its hard to live in a house only with a friend..." She said.

"What?," Harima thought, "Why is she living alone? I thought Karasuma always kept her compan-" Harima then realized that he was talking about Tenma Tsukamoto, but Eri was talking about Yakumo Tsukamoto, her little sister, and known by everyone else, his "former-girlfriend".

Eri started to feel down. She never understood why Harima chose Yakumo. "Sure, she's beautiful, but why her?" Eri thought.

Harima was also "reminiscing". He always remembered that back in the days, when he wore his sunglasses, that the rain always made it impossible to see with them on. He was sort of happy he threw those away. He looked at Eri, and noticed that her beautiful blonde hair was getting soaked. Very soaked. He decided to be the nice guy that he is and he took off his trademark leather coat. He then threw it on Eri's head.

"What the?" Eri said as the impact of the "heavy for a jacket" weight came down on her delicate head. A piece of it was in front of her eyes, and she noticed that Harima just had a white T-shirt on. She also realized what he did, and when she did, she got all warm. Eri was never good with alcohol. Harima was in a bar for a few hours, so the stench of it reeked on the leather jacked that covered her head. Eri started to feel weird.

"Hey Ojo...you don't look so good," Harima said as he looked at her face, "I-I thought you were getting wet, so..." Harima thought that somebody as smart and as stupid as her would figure out the rest.

"O-oh..thanks..." Eri replied with a stale expression. She was really not feeling good. The alcohol brought many thoughts, including a little incident that happened about 2 years ago. An incident that she never quite understood-

_It was a rainy night, and Eri was meeting getting picked up by a date to go to a small restaurant. The man's name was Kaoru Tachibana, VP of the Marketing Division of Microsoft Corporation Japan. Eri looked out of the window, and saw a reflection of herself on the mirror. She wasn't wearing anything too revealing, but it still looked good. The top didn't show too much, but not too little, and the pants complimented it well, along with her golden hair flowing. She thought"What a bad day for a date... Its so rainy out...but I have to do well, since this is technically my first date." Eri was very anxious. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at her front door. She went out to answer it._

_ "Hello Eri," Kaoru said as he led her out of the door. _

_ Eri__ greeted with a petite "hello" and walked out the door. He escorted her to his personal limousine, in which his butler opened the door. They got in, and had the usual wealthy person conversation, the weather, world events, and so forth. Since Eri was wealthy, it wasn't obscene to her. They continued talking like that for over half an hour. The restaurant was further then she anticipated. Upon their long awaited arrival, she immediately changed her opinion on Kaoru. It was a beat-down, old coffee/restaurant shop. There seemed to be only the workers, and 2 customers in there waiting for seats._

_ "Sorry Eri, but I don't really prefer the fancy kind of stuff..." Kaoru said with a grin. She didn't really give a crap, since in high school she went to places like this all the time. Although you'd think the VP of a big company would take you somewhere a little nicer, right? They walked into the old restaurant, and the waiter showed them to a booth near the back. The place was fairly secluded, and it was quite hard to see the booth from the front. The two customers from earlier were also shown to the same area, but one of them parted when they arrived. This man had brown hair and had a suit on. The other man just sat there, holding about 20 papers._

_ The date was pretty bleak, as they had the same boring conversation they had in the limo. Then, Kaoru asked a question. "Hey, Eri...Do you want to do this again sometime?"_

_ Eri responded quickly to this, "Um..shouldn't you be asking that after we leave?" She really didn't get why she was dating this guy at all anymore._

_ "Well...I'm just throwing the idea out here." Kaoru told her with a slight smile, "Actually...Um..."Eri, can I ask you something?"_

_ "Go on ahead." Eri replied. That instant, Kaoru immediately got a serious look on his face. "Eri Sawachika...Please marry me!" Eri just stared, and that created an awkward silence. "Eh...This is our first date, so do you really think you should be asking me to b- _

_ "Please Eri! I will treat you well every day! I will have whatever food you want prepared for you every day from any country. I will buy any item you want, no matter what the price! Please just please!" _

_ Eri was really freaked out at this moment "What the hell is up with this guy?" She thought. She decided to reject him politely. "Thank you for the kind offer Kaoru, but I don't think this will work out.." Immediately after she said that, Kaoru started talking again, but this time in a more calmer voice. _

_ "Fine then...I gave you my best offer but... He now had a sinister look. Instantly, he grabbed her by the neck and pinned her down on the booth seat. He reached into his pocket and took out a knife. At that moment in the restaurant, background music came on. One of a fairly recognizable tune. __*Psycho Killer, Qu'est-ce que c'est*. It was a gift because Kaoru was distracted, giving Eri a chance to punch him in the face and thrash him against the floor in a preemptive attack. She then ran out the door as fast as possible. Kaoru gave chase, running out of the door without paying. While all of this was going on, the two didn't know that the other man in the restaurant was listening to their whole fiasco. He got worried, and he stood up, and gave chase to Kaoru, without paying the bill. The waiter then gave chase to the man and Kaoru because they didn't pay the bills. _

_ Eri was running and running. She didn't know where exactly she would escape to. Her mansion was over 10 miles away, and there was not a chance in hell she would run all that way. She could call Nakamura, her butler, but she was once again too far away for him to make it on time. Her head was spinning wildly, but then she realized that there was only one suitable place to go, so she turned left and started for her destination. Kaoru caught on to this and followed, then the man. The waiter got lost in the ruckus. "COME ON GIRL! I WILL TREAT YOU WELL!" Kaoru shouted to Eri who was a few yards away. She didn't respond, as her energy was focused on remembering what route to take to her destination._

_ A few minutes later, she arrived at the entrance way for a building complex of some sort. The sign at the front read: "Yagami High School". This was Eri's old high school, where she truly learned about life. Where it really started. Her head was filled with those thoughts, but she kept on running. She didn't see Kaoru behind her, but she kept going. She now knew exactly where to go in the school. Funnily enough, the doors were not locked, and this made her life much easier. She opened the door and took a quick look behind her. To her dismay, she saw Kaoru running towards the door with a grim look on his face, but she saw somebody else running behind her._

_ "Isn't that the man from the restaurant"? Eri thought as she flew into the school. It was dark, but she knew her old high school by heart. She headed up the flight of stairs, and headed into classroom "2-C", her old classroom in her 2nd year. Once inside, she didn't know what to do but rest. So she rested. Then the door burst open._

_ "ERI BABY! DADDYS COME TO TAKE YOU HOME!" Kaoru shouted as Eri quickly took cover near the windows. She was easily visible, so Kaoru spotted her easily. She knew this, so she decided to stand up. _

_ "What are you gonna do to me?" Eri asked him, feeling true fear in her heart. _

_ "Oh, we will have LOTS of fun, so don't worry!" Kaoru said with a grin. He edged closer and closer, and Eri was cornered. She was sweating like hell, and she finally lost all hope. _

_ "Its over..." She thought to herself.."And I couldn't even get to see HIM again..." Kaoru edged closer, but then he fell to the ground. A Hurricane Kick to the skull. The man was standing over his body._

So what did you think? Terrible, bad, or amazing? Nonetheless, thank you for reading my fanfic. I don't know if the next chapter will be the final in the series, but I hope you will enjoy it! Thank you again.


	3. Chapter III Like a Rolling Stone

Hello fellow readers! It has been a LONG time since I've uploaded a chapter, but here it is! This one is a bit shorter that the rest, sorry. Things are going on in life, such as school, family etc. And I could never find the time. But no worries! I have some great ideas for this fic, and I'm not giving up! And thank you for all the reviews I have received. They help a lot. Well thanks, and enjoy this chapter! Rogeta OUT.

Chapter III ~ Like a Rolling Stone

_Karou lay there, motionless. He looked like a carcass. The man from the restaurant suddenly stomped his irregularly large foot on his head, sending waves of crashing pain through his body. A large shriek was heard after that. "Humph…"The man mumbled, and walked out of the classroom. Eri still sat there, wondering what the hell just happened. She looked at Kaoru. His spiky hair was now painted in blood. Some dirt marks were present on his face from the man's foot. She wondered if she should help him, but her thoughts were interrupted when she saw his hand move. She immediately ran out of that classroom. She never looked back._

Eri stopped in her tracks, as the rain collected near her. She looked at Harima, and he looked at her. "Why am I getting this nostalgic feeling?" She thought. She continued to look at him.

"Why the hell is she looking at me? Harima thought, "Is there something on me?" He started to feel his face, trying to see if there was something wrong. Then, he decided that it was nothing, and kept walking. Eri followed him, still trying to figure out what was making her feel this way. The rest of the walk was quiet. It was almost frightening, how quiet. You have a reunion of two high school friends, but it is quiet as hell. Finally, they arrived at the large mansion.

Harima looked dazed when he saw that place. He went there a couple times, and faintly remembered how it looked like. Now looking at it, he knew something was different. It was much smaller. It seemed like part of the house just disappeared. There was too much open space. Dark open space. Some parts of the ground had been charred. "What the…was there a fire here?" Harima thought. He was about to ask her, but Eri seemed to notice his expression, and jumped in before he could mention it.

"W-well Hige… Thanks for walking me home that is…" Eri was quiet as usual, "Here is your jacket back, thanks." She handed him the jacket, and he accepted it and put it on.

"Well, see ya some other time Ojo." Harima started to turn and walk away, but then a loud beep sound came into the air. Harima looked at his pocket, and took out something that looked like a cell phone. Eri stared at it. It was an old flip-up phone, colored black and fading in many places. There was no camera on it, and the buttons were so faded, you didn't know what you were pressing.

Eri thought "Did he have that thing since high school? How poor is he exactly?" Harima opened the phone and put it to his ear, holding it in a strange way.

He started to talk. "Yes? Hey man. Yes I was. Shut the hell up you bastard, heh. OK. Sure." He closed the phone, and looked down the street. One lone car then appeared down the road, its light illuminating the dark streets. It stopped right in front of Harima. The car was an old Toyota, not even deserving to a middle class worker. The old window creaked down, and it revealed a man wearing dark sunglasses. He had long spiky brown hair, and a 5 o' clock shadow.

"So Harima," The man said in a raspy voice, "I never thought I'd see you of all people doing this." He looked at Eri, then spoke again. "Hello pretty lady, my name is Okazaki Hiro. Nice to meet-. He stared at her longer, and she stared at her. Harima broke the silence.

"Hey Okazaki, this is an old friend, Sawachika Eri." He said, wondering why the hell the two of them were so quiet.

"Yes, nice to meet you," Okazaki stared at her, "Well Harima, we have plenty of work to do, so let us get going now…"

"Sure man," Harima told him, "Well Ojo, I guess I'll see you on the road…So bye." Harima waved as he hopped into the beat up old car. The window and door closed, then the engine made a screeching and drove off into the cold rainy night. Eri just stood there in front of her house, staring at the taillights disappear. She wondered why he stared at her like that. She also wondered what road they could possibly meet on again.

"Well maybe he knew who I was", she thought, "Yes, I did get pretty famous I guess…" She told herself, still not understanding it all. She then walked to the front of her door, then rang on the fancy doorbell. The door opened, and a large fat man was standing in front of the door.

"Welcome…Miss…" Masaru, the butler told her as she walked in the door.

"Thanks Masaru." Eri told him as she walked into the main hallway and into the shower. She had a lot to think about. As she took off her clothes, she wondered. "That Okazaki Hiro man…He seems weird. I don't like it." Eri thought as she turned on the shower and let the hot water take her away.

"So Harima, you got anything going with that chick?", Okazaki asked Harima as he reached for his #2 pencil.

"Nah...," Harima replied softly, "She's just an old acquaintance of mines." Harima was locked in a deep battle with the paper right in front of him. He had to conquer and finish it though. He had to finish the latest chapter before the deadline. Okazaki Hiro was Harima's new editor and assistant. Yakumo suddenly quit the job a few weeks back, and although he never understood why, he moved on. However, he'd sometimes get the feeling that something was extremely wrong.

"Aw, shit!" Harima firmly said as he saw the piece of his pencil fly like a bird and crash like a drop of water onto the floor.

"Ha, you jackass," Okazaki laughed as he spoke, "Here man, enjoy buying a new pack tomorrow, y'hear?"

"Your the greatest assistant in the world, you know that Okazaki Hiro?" Harima said with a sarcastic tone as he reached into the near-empty pencil cup and took out the last pencil. He looked down at his work, and then looked at Okazaki, who was staring at the page he was inking with a confused grin.

"Hey Harima, lemme ask you something." Okazaki spoke after looking at the paper.

"What?" Harima sail coldly, wanting to return to his work.

"The love interest in this story, she kind of resembles that chick you were with earlier." Okazaki said. Harima just sat there, and an awkward silence followed. Harima finally broke it.

"Y-you think so? W-well that was completely unintentional!" Harima said as he felt his soul shatter. Okazaki put his finger on his chin, scratched it, then smiled.

"Oh man Harima, I've heard of lots of things that lovers do to try to grab their girl's attention, but THIS is ..." Okazaki laughed.

"Aw shut the hell up!" Harima said, "I have NO interest in that girl!"

"*Ahem*, it is all OK Kenji, you are now a grown man." Okazaki laughed even more as he talked like a caring father.

"Damn it, don't call me by my first name you son of a-" Harima was interrupted before he could fully curse Okazaki out.

"Harima, let me ask you a question." Okazaki said, suddenly getting a serious expression on his face.

"What the hell do you want now?" Harima told him.

"You said that you have no interest in Eri Sawachika, am I correct?" Okazaki asked him.

"Yes, and why the hell are you being so formal with me for?" Harima asked back. Okazaki gave disregard to the question.

"Listen closely...do you mind If I take her out on a date?"


	4. Chapter IV This Bird Has Flown

Authors note~ Hello, Rogeta here! I haven't updated in a while... Yes I know. And the sad thing is that these chapters are so damn short! Well, anyways, I want to thank everybody for the great reviews I am getting. It makes me want to continue to write fanfic even though I have 2 hours of math homework ahead :D. So without further ado... Please enjoy the chapter!

Chapter IV ~ (This Bird Has Flown)

The room was silent when Okazaki asked the question. Harima looked a little dazed as he waited for his response to the outrageous question.

"D-do whatever you want!" Harima firmly shouted at him, "Why are you asking ME of all people?" He was more red than the blood that he wanted to shed from Okazaki.

"Ah, my good friend, it is just intuition. I know that you-" Okazaki was interrupted before he could finish the obscene statement.

"Listen," Harima spoke, this time more calmly. "I have NOTHING with that girl, so you can do whatever the hell you want, got that?" Harima returned to his work. Okazaki understood he was severely angry, and he then shut up as well, and he also returned to his inking. A few minutes later, Harima posed a question to him. "So how are you even gonna set up this date?" Harima asked softly.

"I got people," Okazaki said with a smirk, "Don't worry my friend, as all will go well" For the rest of the time, the conversation was bleak, as Okazaki kept the smirk plastered on his face.

The next day, Eri was about to walk out for a stroll. She had this day off, and didn't want to do anything too big. As she walked out of the door, however, her butler delivered a startling message.

"Ojo-sama..." Nakamura said silently, "I have some news for you from your father."

"Alright," Eri told him, "What is the matter?" Nakamura waited a few seconds before continuing, but then spoke.

"Your father has set up a test date with a slightly famous person. He has said that this time, it is mandatory you attend..." Nakamura trialed off at the end, remembering her last test date 2 years ago. Eri just stood there, taking it in. Then she posed a question.

"Well, when is this test date?" Nakamura quickly responded to this question.

"The test date will actually be later on today, at about 6 o' clock. The man is going to be picking you up..." He trailed off again. Eri just turned away and started her stroll. Nakamura tried to stop her to say something ,but ultimately failed. He watched as her figure became smaller and smaller until it disappeared in the sun of the morn.

The time was 5:30. Eri stood impatiently at her door, waiting for her date to arrive. The only thing that was going through her mind was the memories of the last date, the attempted rape. It was so long ago, but the memories were fresh. Eri remembered how Kaoru came up in a nice car, and how they went to a slightly mediocre restaurant. She didn't really like the idea of doing something like that again, but of course, she had to obey her father.

On the other end of things Harima was returning from turning in his latest work. "_Damn, I am tired as hell..."_ Harima thought as he the wind blasted through his face on his motorcycle. He felt like complete shit, and he felt even shittier when he felt a vibration in his pocket. He immediately pulled over the cycle and reached into his pocket. His old phone was pulled out, and he looked at the number, to see Okazaki was calling. He answered.

"Yo, Harima, listen up." Okazaki said in a rather serious tone.

"What the hell do you want Okazaki Hiro?" Harima replied, obviously pissed at the sudden call.

"I need you to meet up with me. We gotta talk, and fast." Okazaki seemed in a rush.

"Well were talking right now, so spill it." Harima told him, becoming curious why the hell he had to meet him in person.

"It's not matters that can be discussed over the phone. I gotta see you. Now." Okazaki was firm in his argument. "Listen, the address is..." Okazaki gave him an address to a location that wasn't known to Harima. "And hurry the hell up too." * Beep *. He hung up.

_"What the hell is up with that guy?"_ Harima asked himself as he mounted himself on his motorcycle, headed for the unknown destination and the unknown events that awaited him.

A sound of a doorbell was heard throughout the mansion as Eri went to the door. _"Damn, 6:00 on the dot...Good timing."_ Eri thought to herself. When she opened the door, she almost fell over. "Y-y-you!" she didn't really know why she was so surprised as she shrieked. "You were the one with Hige the other day!"

"Ahem..." Okazaki muffled out, Yes, it is I, the one and only Okazaki Hiro, here to take the lovely Miss Eri Sawachika out on the greatest night of her life." As he said this he grabbed her hand to kiss it, but then Eri pulled it away immediately.

"Lets just get going..."Eri told him as she walked past him out of the mansion. He then followed suit, walking to the lot for cars. There, was the same old beat up car that she saw him riding in before. Eri silently stared at the car before making a move to the passenger seat. Okazaki went to the drivers seat without a word, but not before trying to open the passenger door. He was stopped before he could grab it.

"Thank you, but I can do it myself!" Eri told him with a mean stare as she opened the door. Okazaki then retreated like a puppy dog to the other side of the car, and started it up. They were then off on the road. Eri was getting annoyed at the sounds the engine was making. Also, at the fact the it felt like they were driving on rocks instead of smooth pavement. She looked and saw the "Check Engine" light was red, and got a bad feeling. She wondered how this guy was even "slightly famous" like her butler previously said.

"So, were in the world are we going?" Eri asked Okazaki without looking at him.

"It's a secret." Okazaki told her with a smirk and a wink. Eri then replied to him-

"I don't like secrets."

"Well this is an exception." Okazaki then told her, as he focused his attention back to the road. The rest of the ride was bleak, sort of like her last test date. She didn't like the aura she was getting from Okazaki Hiro. The feeling. It reminded her of Kaoru Tachibana. Then she asked the question. The one that would determine whether she would bitch-slap this guy and jump out of the car.

"D-do you know a man named Kaoru Tachibana?" She stuttered as she was going to say the name. Okazaki didn't answer at first, silence lingering in the car. But then finally, he spoke.

"Let me ask...He then paused. "Do _you_ know him?"

"Huh?" Eri replied.

"You should know the answer to your own questions...", he laughed, "You know girl, nobody likes a hypocrite... Eri didn't know how to respond to the statement. It seemed absurd, yet oh so true, like there was a missing link. For half an hour, it was silent in the car. Well, except for the frustrating car engine that was really pissing Eri off. Then the car slowed, and she looked out the side window to see a large black building. There were no windows, only fading black paint, with wood showing more than color. She wondered what kind of a place for a date was this. _"What the hell is this?"_ Her thoughts were.

"Well, lets go, cause we've got stuff to do..." Okazaki said quietly as he got out of the old car. He slammed the door shut, and walked towards the lone door. When he didn't hear footsteps behind him, he turned around. Eri was outside the car, but she was not moving. Then angrily, she shouted-

"What the hell is this?" Okazaki rolled his eyes and sighed, then spoke to her.

"You see...I need you for something here... He approached her, eyes like a wolf. Eri turned around, looking for escape, but in the darkness, she couldn't see much. All of a sudden, an immense pain shot through her body. She could see Okazaki in front of her, with his strong grasp on her neck.

"W-what a-are you gonna d-do to m-me?" Eri managed to say. It was nearly impossible to breath.

"Just shut up..., It'll be less painful that way." Okazaki said harshly. At that moment, Eri fainted, becoming unconscious from lack of breath. Okazaki walked, still holding onto her neck, and walked into the dark hellish building.

While all this was happening, good old Harima was racing on his motorcycle to the destination Okazaki specified. He even ran red lights to get there. He knew Okazaki would be severely pissed if he didn't get there fast enough. "God damn it..., what the hell does that bastard want?" Harima thought. He was beginning to hate his new assistant. He liked Yakumo better. Yakumo and Harima got really close during the time after high school. Hell, they almost slept together. However, Harima never got the true love feeling from her. And when she left suddenly, Harima didn't have too much emotions. Now he did.

Harima approached the meeting point. When he finally arrived, he looked at the point. It was a black building, and he saw Okazaki's car parked outside. He then turned off his motorcycle, and went inside. "Well, lets see..." He said as he opened the old wooden door. As soon as he opened the door, he almost fainted at the sight he saw.


	5. Chapter V Part II Prolouge

_The dark room made the atmosphere even more chilling as one lone man sat on his computer desk chair, staring at the screen; the only light in the room. Then he spoke one word: "Done." Then another man stepped into the room. _

"_Good job, Tachibana." _

"_No problem," the man called Tachibana replied faintly, "Now we must find our next target…" The man scrolled down the computer page, and stopped at a profile. "Here, this should do us fine…" The other man came close to the screen._

"_Huh, a might pretty one, isn't she? He said to Tachibana. _

"_I know," Tachibana said, "she's worth fortune a too, heir to the Sawachika estate. This will be our next target…Eri Sawachika."_

_**L.O.V.E. Four Letter Word~Part II, Chapter V**_

_{A few years before the events in the previous chapter.}_

Tenma Tsukamoto was walking home with her fellow classmates after one long and hard day at Yagami High School. "Man! Why does math have to be so hard?" Tenma groaned.

"Oh don't forget PE, English, Japanese History, and Literature…" Her friend Mikoto Suo exclaimed.

"Man you guys are so lame," the other friend, Eri Sawachika told them. "All of these subjects are easy!"

"Heh…that's cause you are so rich and pampered…" Tenma said with a moan. The other friend, the quiet and deadly Takano Akira just walked along, listening to the conversation. It was just a day in the life for the 3rd year High School students. As they walked, they past a newsstand that had the day's paper. Eri peered at the headline, which read~"Tachibana Corp. Strikes Again" She sighed. Tachibana Corp. was an up and coming company in the business world, aiming for the man companies, the Sawachika's and Yotsuba.

"Hey Eri, what's your problem" Suo asked her when she saw her dejected face.

"Oh nothing at all!" Eri laughed, obviously hiding something.

"Is it about the Tachibana Corp.? Takano Akira said, completely right.

"Y-yeah…" Eri said, embarrassed.

"Well don't worry about that…Akira told her, "according to my calculations, Sawachika should win the stock market rankings this week. Eri felt relieved. Her predictions were always dead on, although she had no idea how the hell she knew those things.

In an alleyway, two men looked out, and saw the group walking.

"Found 'em" Tachibana said. He had his iPhone in his hand, recording. We will commence mission tonight, alright…Okazaki?"

"Sure thing…cousin"

**Author's notes~ Hello, Rogeta here. This chapter marks the "Part II" of the story. This chapter was just a small marking of it. I know I update slow as hell, but I am working hard in the face of all the schoolwork I'm doing. The next few chapters will take place in the past, focusing on the OC's of the story, Okazaki and Kaoru. Well, I hope you enjoyed this short prologue for Part II, and look out for more on the way! Rogeta Out.**


	6. Chapter VI Part II Norwegian Wood

Author's Notes~Rogeta here. Here is the first full chapter for part II of the story, the "past." The chapter a little emotional and I don't even know how I wrote this. It just came out on the paper. (Or the monitor, I guess….) Well nonetheless, enjoy, and look forward to the next one!

L.O.V.E. Four Letter Word~ Part II, Chapter VI~ Norwegian Wood

The night was quiet, almost eerie as Eri stared outside the foggy window. It was a cold night as well, the kinds that Eri hated the most. It was mostly lifeless outside, except for the few passerby cars that whizzed by the window. It was another boring night for Eri, and it didn't seem it would change. Unfortunately, it sure as hell did.

Approximately 20 yards away, two shady characters in black sweaters lay waiting for the moment to strike. "Okazaki, you good?" Kaoru asked his cousin, who was looking tired from the cold winter air.

"Yeah man," He replied, "Only 3 more minutes left until we start." He looked at his pocket, a jar inside it.

"You remember the plan?" Kaoru then asked him.

"Hell fucking yes I do." Okazaki said confidently. He stared at his Rolex watch, and then he saw it. 12 o' clock sharp. "Alright let's go!" He told him. Then he took out the jar and opened it, spilling its content on the floor. Kaoru then took out a box of matches, and then skillfully lit 3 of them at the same time. Both of them ran, and Kaoru threw the matches at the liquid on the ground. Almost instantaneously, there was a chemical reaction, and the fire spewed out like the sun on a summer morning. Kaoru and Okazaki laughed as they ran away from the scene, knowing the hell they just created. Fire.

Back at Eri's room, she was startled by the sound of the fire alarm.

"Interesting…"she said to herself, "Usually Nakamura replaces the batteries one month before you are supposed to…" She then realized that the batteries were replaced just yesterday. That's when she smelled it. The stench of hell. And that's when she ran out of that room, grabbing her cell phone as she ran for her life.

Out on the hallway as she started to dial 119, she saw Nakamura, the trusty butler. "No worries Ojo-sama…"He told her, "I have alerted the fire department, and they shall be on the case in approximately one minute and fifteen seconds…"

"_How the hell can I NOT worry? My house is on FIRE!" _she thought, _"Whoever the hell did this will pay. I will make them pay…" _She shed a tear as she and her butler saw Masaru, lying on the floor, seemingly out of it.

"Masaru!" They both shouted in unison as they ran towards him. Nakamura got there first, and picked him up.

"Ojo-sama, let's go." He told her. Eri nodded, and they continued to run and run through the house. They finally hit the exit, and they ran outside, thanking the lord they didn't get engulfed in the flames. They were surprised to see the fire department already there, fighting the fire. Then they turned backwards, and Eri's jaw dropped like an anchor.

It was like an angel was living on one side, and a devil was residing on the next. The angel's side looked perfectly fine, elegant and beautiful, but then she looked at the opposite side. It was completely engulfed in flames. The large pillars that supported the roof were falling. One of the pillars then collapsed. Eri watched, as a lone fireman was standing, then running. The boom. Instant death. She then couldn't take it anymore. She started crying. The tears of sadness dropped down her amber eyes, and she wondered what caused this. Why God had to be so mean to her that he made this happen.

"Why?" she muttered, "Why the hell did this have to happen? Everything was going so well…" Then she realized that it wasn't. Nothing was going well. She was graduating from high school, and she didn't have a proper boyfriend yet. There was just Hige, the one man that she possibly loved, that didn't even know her feelings. She sobbed, and sobbed, and sobbed. And it seemed it would never stop.

{A week later}

Eri was told by the officials that it was safe to go back to her mansion. Well…the remains of it. She also found out that an official investigation was underway to find out what exactly caused this. Eri was sitting in the limousine, waiting impatiently for what she would see.

"Would my room still be there?" she thought to herself. "What is going to be gone?" She got saddened by what she could have lost, but she couldn't get sadder as the limo had stopped. They had arrived. Nakamura walked out, and proceeded to open her door, but the Eri opened it herself. "Thanks Nakamura, but I-"Eri was stopped when she looked up, and saw the sight.

The emotions were mixed. Pure elation, and pure hatred and sadness. The elation part of it was the fact that about 60% of the house was still there. Then she realized that 40% was still missing. She looked at the remains of the once beautiful mansion. Most of it was just gone, with piles of ashes on the ground. She then started to venture inside. And Nakamura didn't stop her. He knew she had to see this. Eri could make out the grand kitchen. Or rather, the former grand kitchen, every single appliance was destroyed, the elegant tiling on the floor charred to the core. It was hard to even walk on it. She then ventured further, into the storage and relaxation rooms. The storage room's contents were all gone, the boxes now ashes. All the TV's in the relaxation rooms were gone, along with the chairs and the such. The only things remaining in the burnt side of the building were some of the darkened walls and some items that barely made it out. Eri then walked up the stairs, almost plunging to her death at the numerous charred steps.

Eri then opened the door to her room, and then felt like jumping in glee when she saw that all was the same in her room except for a few fallen objects. She then lay on her bed, staring at the white ceiling, which seemed weird since almost all the other walls were charred black. Then the door opened, and she was surprised at the sight.

"Oh my god Eri!" Tenma Tsukamoto screamed, "Are you okay?" She ran into the room, followed by Mikoto, Yakumo, and Takano.

"G-guys" Eri stuttered as she sat up and as Tenma hugged her. Mikoto then said~

"We were worried sick Eri! We are so sorry for the loss…" She trailed off, looking saddened by the weak Eri. Yakumo and Takano just stood there quietly, "mentally sending" their condolences to Eri. "Thanks for coming to see me guys, but I'm OK, you should leave now…" She told them. They just stared at her for a few seconds, then the most unlikely person to say this-Yakumo firmly said~

"Eri, I'm sorry, but I hope you realize that we are worried about you!" Yakumo paused, closing her eyes, and then continuing, "We want to be with you in these tough times, so lighten up!" Yakumo turned red, realizing what she just said. Mikoto smiled at Yakumo, who in turn smiled back.

"Yes Eri," Tenma told her, "We want to be with you right now!"

"Yeah, we do!" Mikoto said. Takano the nodded, as if agreeing with them. Eri was dead silent, but then finally spoke silently~

"T-thanks guys…"she took a long pause, then said, "Thank you for everything…" The group stayed for about three hours in that room. Chatting, cheering Eri up, talking about schoolwork and the such. Then they had to depart, and Eri was left alone again. Then she heard a knocking sound on her door.

"Ojo-sama…"It was Nakamura.

"Yes Nakamura, what do you want?" Eri said.

"You have another visitor. Can the person see you?" He asked.

"S-sure" Eri replied without even thinking who it could be. Then the door opened, and her face turned red.

"Hey Ojo, you doing OK?" Harima asked her, as he rudely sat down without even being told to do so. Eri didn't answer, but just stared at him.

"Ojo, are you listening to me?" Harima got up and walked towards her. Then Eri sat up and told him firmly~

"Don't come closer!" Harima just stood there, wondering what the hell she just said.

"W-what did you say? I came all the way here to see you and you treat me lik-"He couldn't finish, because Eri stood up and interrupted.

"Why didn't you do anything?" She asked him, "Isn't the fiancé supposed to protect the girl?"

"Ojo listing I-"He was interrupted again, and he couldn't believe what he heard.

"I loved you!" She told him, her face filled with embarrassment and tears. "Why weren't you there for me? I was in so much pain! I thought the man I fell in love with was supposed to be better than that!" She then reached out her hand, and slapped him across the face. Harima just stood here, with the pain racing through his body. It wasn't just physical pain, but it was also emotional pain.

"UGH, GET OUT YOU {#$%(!" Eri screamed, and slapped him again. Harima then ran out, dejected, wondering why. Why Eri treated him this way.


	7. Chapter VII Part II Tank

Author's Note~ Rogeta here…It's been a while, eh? 2 months to be precise…Well I'm coming off the midterm blues here…writers block and the such. Well, enjoy guys, and keep on reviewing!

Chapter VII~ Tank

"What the hell is this?" Harima blasted as he opened the doors to the building. He first observed the two tables about 20 feet away from him. Each table had a girl on it, each tied up and seemingly helpless. It took Harima a while to decipher who the girls were because of the dark lighting, but he gasped when he found out. "Ojo?" He saw the beautiful blonde girl's arms, legs, mouth, and eyes trapped. She spoke when she heard Harima. Her voice was muffled by the tape, and therefore Harima couldn't understand it. He looked to the left of her, and saw another girl tied up the same way Eri was. He gasped even harder at this one.

"I…Imouto-san…" It was Yakumo Tsukamoto, Harima's former manga editor. She suddenly had to stop the job and he's never heard from her since. He ran over to the two girls, but then was stopped dead in his tracks by an ear-shattering gunshot. He stared up as a figure rose out of the darkness.

"Desert Eagle Mark XIX… You gotta love it…" The shadow said. It walked out, and Harima instantly recognized who it was.

"Heh, I knew you'd come to no good…Okazaki Hiro." Okazaki stepped out even closer and started walking and walking closer to Harima. A few seconds later, he was right in his face. "So…" Harima paused before continuing, "What'd you call me here for?"

"Now now Harima… you of all people should now the answer to that question." As soon as the word was spoken, he brought his fist up in a swift uppercut to Harima's jaw. It was heavily impacted, but Harima was only sent a few inches back. The then smirked as he wiped the blood off his face. Harima then spoke-

"Tell me what's the damn story here…" Harima huffed. That punch actually took a lot out of him. Then Okazaki explained everything. The plan, the fire, the aftermath. Harima got more and more pissed for every word Okazaki spoke. "Why did you do it then? Why the hell did you have to ruin Ojo's life even further and capture Imouto-san?"

"It's because of her company…It's all her fault!" Okazaki shouted unusually loud. "Tachibana Corp…It was a huge company in America. We dominated the stock market. But when Sawachika Eri became the head of her father's company, they expanded overseas into the U.S. market. We couldn't handle it. We were driven out of the U.S. like lone wolves. That's when my cousin, Kaoru had a plan. He got close to Sawachika's father, and managed to date his daughter, Eri. We tried giving her living hell." Okazaki took a long breath after this.

"Attempted rape, burning that mansion down, kidnapping close friends…that was to ruin her life. We our next plan is to start up a rumor that her father is cheating on his wife." Okazaki grinned as Harima looked dumbfounded.

"Alright, but I still need to know what this accomplishes…" Harima told him.

"All these events would totally destroy the image of the Sawachika company." Okazaki exclaimed, "People would lose trust and faith in them, and Tachibana Corp. would rise to glory once again." The moment he finished, Harima darted towards him and threw a punch. Okazaki grabbed his fist, but found it was extremely hard to continue holding it as Harima was applying a monstrous amount of pressure.

"Hey…" Harima looked up, "Let's do this right..." Okazaki grinned again and understood, throwing the gun across the room. Both took a few steps back. Harima stared at the two people tied up on the tables. He would save t them he thought. He didn't really have a reason, but hell, he didn't need one.

Almost in unison the two dashed towards each other and started a fistfight. Harima threw punch after punch as Okazaki masterfully evaded each and every one of them. However, he couldn't keep up with Harima's swiftness and he managed to land a hard one to the upper head. Okazaki fell back as Harima grabbed his fist. "Not bad man…" Okazaki chirped. He immediately got up after that and went for a roundhouse kick. Harima ducked, with the tip of his hair just touching Okazaki's leg. He then proceeded to knee Okazaki, but he was too slow as Okazaki spun around so he was now behind him.

Okazaki rose up his own elbow and brought it down hard, but Harima foresaw this and ran forward, only to smash into a large pole as he was dodging the elbow. He hit his head rather hard, and while he was recovering, Okazaki went in for the kill. His foot rose up as it cleanly connected with Harima's cheek. He flew back into the pole, and slumped on the ground.

Okazaki walked triumphantly to the dazed Harima, but Harima wasn't completely out of the game yet. He rose up like a hawk and uppercutted Okazaki in the jaw. Blood spurted out of his mouth as he fell on his back. "Is that…all you can do…?" Harima huffed as he walked towards Okazaki's corpse like body. Okazaki's eyes were semi-shut. Okazaki got up slowly, but Harima stepped on his hand.

"UGH!" He shouted as he fell to the floor again. Harima stood there, but was surprised as Okazaki circled with his leg stretched out. It collided with Harima's foot, sending him to the ground. Now both "fighters" were on the ground, staring at each other.

"Meh…not bad asshole…" Harima said volume barely a whisper.

"Well I'd say you gotta brush up on your skills jerk…"Okazaki said at an equal volume

"So you gonna release those women now?" Harima asked him. There was a short pause, until a crackly voice destroyed the silence.

"Not on my watch man." Harima looked forward into the darkness as a new person emerged. Harima instantly recognized him.

"You're the guy that tried to…" He paused at what he remembered.

"Yep, that me. Kaoru Tachibana at your service…" Kaoru walked even closer, and Harima noticed a shining object in his pocket. "Now time for payback. That stomp on the head left me a little dazed, you know?" He then sent a booming stomp to his head, and Harima felt the surge of pain race from his head down to his legs.

"D-damn..."He said to himself.

"Heheh…"Kaoru snickered as he sent his foot upon Harima's head again. Meanwhile, back at the tables, Eri and Yakumo didn't like what they were hearing. Eri then finally managed to get the tape off her face by rubbing it on the table. She looked at the sight, and screamed.

"HIGE, NO!"

*stomp*

"NO, PLEASE!"

*stomp*

"PLEASE STOP TACHIBANA!"

*stomp*

"NO, HI-HARIMA!"

*stomp*

"KENJI, DON'T DIE!"

At that moment Kaoru stopped stomping on Harima's bloody head. He walked over to Eri. He looked at her, and he did the same. It was about five minutes of pure silence. As soon as the tears stopped streaming down Eri's face, she felt pain as Kaoru's hand smacked across her skin.

"Using first name I see…"He stopped for a second, "Interesting." I guess I'll have to have MORE fun…" He turned around, and then spoke again. "By the way _Eri-baby_…, we go have some_ fun_ tonight with you and the red-eyed babe over there…" Eri squealed a bit as Okazaki got up, and Kaoru walked over to Harima.

"Well cousin…it's all yours" Okazaki smiled, elated at what was about to happen.

"Hell yes…let's go." Kaoru told him. He then took out the shining object. "New Desert Eagle… my favorite…" He loaded the gun up, and pointed it.

"NO" Eri shouted.

*bang*

(No Cowboy Bebop reference intended)


	8. Chapter VIII Part II In My Life

Authors Note: Wow, its been almost 2 months! Well I have no excuse, and I deeply apologize. Thank you for the great reviews and the such, they really keep me going. I have determined that the next chapter will most likely be the last, so please look forward to it, and enjoy.

Chapter VIII~ In My Life

There was a distant feeling of pain, then boom. Everything was dark. Harima only saw and felt darkness. _"Where am I?"_ he thought, _"What just happened?"_ He couldn't remember anything. He didn't know what happened at all. _"This feels like Instrumentality from Evangelion._ He thought. He was sitting down on a floor that was just dark along with everything else. Then all of sudden, a shadow appeared in front of him. It appeared blurry, so blurry that he could barely decipher that it was a human body. Then it became clearer. The black shoes became clear, showing the pitch black color. Then the jeans appeared. They were battered, rips and dirt stains eminent. Then came the shirt. It was a black vest, and like the pants, rips and dirt stains were all over. Finally, the face became apparent. "Y-you're"… Harima stuttered.

"Hello, it's been a while…" The shadow said. He stared at him, and vice versa.

"I don't get it…"Harima told him, "You look just like me…before…"His voice trailed off.

"Yes, before you met Tsukamoto Tenma. All those years ago…" Harima waited before responding.

"Ok, so why the hell are you here?" He exclaimed.

"Calm down, we have plenty of time…" Young Harima told him. His shadowy hands then reached to his shirt, and he removed it, turning around in the process. "You remember this right?" He asked Harima. There was a long scar running diagonally across his back.

"Yeah," Harima told him…"I got that when Tenma was in that alley, and then I came to her rescue and that's when I got the scar." Young Harima then spoke up.

"Exactly, that's when it all started."

"What did?" Harima asked him.

"Well that's when you changed, you acted strange…"

"Heh," Harima chuckled, "I don't recall listening to Elvis back then…"

"You didn't, and that's not that point." Young Harima told him. "What I'm saying is that now you're different. You're not as rough as you were back then. You've become…" There was a long pause before he muttered the word, "weak…"

"What the hell do you mean?" Harima asked him, obviously offended. Young Harima sighed before resuming the conversation.

"Think about it for a little. You started attending school… You gained…friends…"

"What's wrong with that?" Harima pestered him again, obviously pissed and confused at what his younger image was saying.

"You're WEAK now Harima Kenji!" Young Harima exclaimed bitterly. "Look at this." Then all of a sudden a magazine generated out of nowhere. It then fell to the ground, and Young Harima picked it up. Then he fiercely threw it to Harima, who barely caught it. He opened the book, flipping through the pages. He then smiled.

"I remember this. I recently got this published."

"It's things like this that make you weak. Silly Love Manga, attending school on a regular basis, not fighting for what you want, having those annoying friends who you really can't trust in at all."

"Ok so great, my former self hates how I am now," Harima tells him, "Why are you bitching so much about it?"

"Well that's because I can change it." He tells him.

"You can…what?" Harima says, not understanding what he means.

"_You_ can change it, rather. But first, you do remember those two cousins right?" There was silence for a little as Harima tried to remember. Then it hit him.

"Crap! I have to save Ojo!" Harima exclaimed, tensing.

"Calm down, for I can fix it…"

"How?" Harima pleaded, "How can you do it?"

"Well first, I must tell you this. Before you went into this "trance" of sorts, you were being stomped on the head. Then he pulled out that gun. You were going to die if that continued!" Silence filled the room again, and Harima had a black look on his face before he realized that it was the truth.

"DAMN that Okazaki…" Harima shouted at Young Harima.

"Think though…" Young Harima told him, "It's all because you…love."

"Love?"

"Yes, love. You gained friends and people to talk to. Back in the days you were a person who didn't care for others, only for himself. Then you saved Tenma Tsukamoto and fell in love with her. After that you did something literally against your code- going to school." It seemed Young Harima just wouldn't stop as Harima kept listening intently. "Then you met others…Hanai Haruki, Yakumo Tsukamoto, that annoying ass dude with the long hair, (Togou) Harry Mackenzie. It may not seem like it, but they are your friends… Then there are others, like Eri Sawachika.

"How the hell do you even know this stuff?" Harima went off topic.

"Well I am your sub-conscious…" Young Harima told him. "Anyways, all of these things and these people, they're making you weak my friend… but I can fix it. I can take you back to that day you met Tenma Tsukamoto, and I can make sure she doesn't get hurt. Then you wouldn't have to rescue her. Then you wouldn't have to be weak. I can do it my friend."

"How…"

"Stop asking questions," Young Harima demanded, "Now answer, do you want to make things right, or do you want to remain a weakling for the rest of your life?" Harima just stared down at the dark ground. Like mentioned earlier, everything was dark.

_"Kind of like my heart back then…"_ Harima thought. _"But do I really want to do this?"_ He thought about all those people his sub-conscious. The fights, the races, the…fun. _"They were all…fun…." _That's when Harima decided. Then he uttered his final decision.

"No…"

"What?" Young Harima said intently.

"NO, I want to stay the way I am!" Harima fiercely stated as he rose from his seated position.

"What's the matter with you?" Young Harima asked him, "Why?"

"Because…I love them all." Harima stared his former self right in the eye when he said this. Then Young Harima laughed.

"Heh…" he said after a pause, "wasn't it you who said that love was just a word? That it didn't exist?"

"You know…" Harima then replied, "I was really a dumbass back then, wasn't I?"

"What are you talking about?" Young Harima asked him, annoyed. Harima took a step forward, looked him dead in the eye, and said:

"You don't realize you love somebody until you realize you're being loved…" Harima said to Young Harima. No, rather, Harima said to himself. To his past. The room for the last time was filled with silence. Then it was over.

"I…can't argue with that…" Young Harima said to him "Go on then…I'll let you continue…" And then there was light.


	9. Chapter IX Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Authors note~ Rogeta here. Well this is it. It's been a great ride. I want to thank all of my reviewers and readers. It's you guys that helped me through some tough times in the past few months. Thanks you for reading and reviewing and I apologize for taking so long to update another chapter. These 9 months have been great times of FanFiction for me. Enjoy.

Chapter IX~ Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

*bang*

The shot was fired from the Desert Eagle, but to no avail. Harima spun around with one of his legs out and tripped Kaoru. Then with a lightning fast fluid motion, Harima grabbed the pistol and threw it across the room. At the same time put Kaoru in the same situation he himself was just in a few seconds ago.

"How do you like this?" Harima said in a menacing tone. He then proceeded to stomp on Kaoru's head, but was then interrupted by Okazaki's kick to the back.

"Not gonna let you get away with this punk" Okazaki said as he pulled out his own pistol and pulled the trigger. Since his was in a rush however, the shots went extremely off course, giving Harima the opportunity to dash forward and deliver a powerful knee to the stomach. A mixture of blood came out of his mouth as he was about to hit the ground, but Harima wasn't done yet. He continued to pound at Okazaki's face.

"_Wait a minute"_ Harima thought. While Okazaki was still shocked from the fist barrage he just received, Harima turned around to see Kaoru charging towards him with a knife in his hand. Just before it was about to connect, he strafed to the left and tried to punch him at the side of the ribcage, but Kaoru kicked his knee and Harima tumbled on down to the floor.

"You bastard…" Harima huffed as he started to get up. Once he got up, he was greeted with an uppercut to the face courtesy of Okazaki. He once again fell back to the floor, and the two cousins stood tall right next to him.

"Please stop fighting!" Eri shouted in the background.

"Shut the fuck up bitch," Kaoru told her as he walked over to the other side of the room to get his gun the Harima threw. On the way, he slapped Eri on the face.

"What kind of man w-"Eri started, but was interrupted by another slap. She was quiet after that. Yakumo just watched. Kaoru retrieved the gun and walked back to Harima.

"Well then man, time to finish off what should have been done a few minutes ago." Kaoru exclaimed. Harima was still dazed on the floor from the Ali-like uppercut he just received.

"_Shit."_ He thought, _"It's over now…"_ Harima looked around, trying not to look at the bringer of his impending doom. He saw Eri and Yakumo over on the other side of the room_. "Ojo..Imouto-san….Sorry I couldn't do anything…"_ He looked at Eri's face. There were slowly forming tears in her eyes. "No…Don't cry…Damn…" He anger increased, "Damn it all….."No…No…No…NO."

Meanwhile, Kaoru was about to deliver the finishing blow. "Well then, Good…BYE" His fist was about to connect, but it stopped. It was stopped by a hand.

"No…way…" Harima stood up, "Will I ever…" He rose higher, "get beaten by some sick son of a bitch….LIKE YOU." Using his other hand, Harima delivered a literally head breaking punch to Kaoru's skull.

"FUCK!" Kaoru shouted, retaliating from the attack. Okazaki then came in with his pistol with the intent to kill, but it was to no avail. Harima grabbed his wrist and twisted it, causing Okazaki to drop the pistol and scream in pain.

"ARRRGHHH!" He shouted, but then it got worse. Harima grabbed the pistol from the ground, quickly loaded it, aimed right at Okazaki's arm, then…

"!" The scream filled the room as Okazaki hit the floor, nearly lifeless. Harima didn't waste any time however. He turned to Kaoru with the pistol still in his hand. Kaoru then drew out his own pistol.

"Wait a minute," Harima told him, "Let's do this right." He then dropped the gun.

"Heh…" Kaoru snickered, "Your loss then." He too then dropped his gun. The two were ready to finish this. They were a few feet apart, but that was about to change. Both of them clenched their fists, then they went. They both screamed in unison as they charged.

"HAAAAAAAAARGGGGGHHHHH!" Then their fists connected with each other's faces. Both of them stood in silence, parallel to each other. Everything was still and silent. Even the two spectators was silent. Then there was a cough of blood from one of the men.

Kaoru fell down on his knees. Harima turned around and walked towards him. He then kicked Kaoru on the back, making him fall on his stomach.

"Damn…it…" Kaoru uttered, "Eri…" He then fainted. Harima heard loud sounds from outside. Police sirens. It was over.

It was a mess as the scene as there were several police cars parked, detectives, medics, and officers strewn about. Harima was talking to one of the officers.

"So you shot that man?" He asked annoyingly.

"Yes, but once again, it was in self defense." Harima was getting pissed off at this guy, but then a blond man came from the corner.  
"S-sergeant Imadori!" The young officer said with a surprise in his voice.

"Is there a problem here?" Imadori said with a strong voice.

"N-no sir, none at all!" The young officer replied.

"Good, then you can go. I'll handle this one." Imadori told him.

"Y-yes sir!" The young officer scurried off to another section, while Imadori confronted Harima.

"Well well man, it's been a while, hasn't it?" Imadori said as he patted Harima's shoulder.

"Yeah, I guess so." Harima snorted, "So you still chasing after D's?"

"Oh, cut me some slack." Imadori laughed, "Besides, the wife would kill me."

"Wife?" Harima said. He couldn't believe this pervert got a wife.

"Yeah, Ichi" Imadori replied giving a thumbs up.

"Ichi?" Harima asked him.

"Karen Ichjou." Imadori then said. He then leaned in closer, "Her's have grown in pretty nicely I should say…" He then started to laugh.

"_Some people never change I guess…"_ Harima thought.

"Anyways, I should be able to clear you from having any difficulties. It was self defense, and we have confessions from the two.

"He survived?" Harima asked him.

"Yeah, but barely. You really put a number on him, heh. Well, you should go now. If I need anything from you, I'll ring you up, but I'll try to make sure that doesn't happen." He walked off.

"Thanks." Harima said as he was a few yards away. Imadori looked back, smiled, and continued to investigate more.

On another part of the scene, Eri was done talking to the police officers when she spotted Harima walking off.

"Hige!" Eri yelled. _"Wait, why the hell did I just call him for? What do I say now?"_ Before she could think of something, he was already in front of her.

"What do you want Ojo?" Harima said rudely.

"W-well I…" She really didn't know what to say. "Thanks for saving me and Yakumo…"

"Meh, don't apologize," Harima told her, "Besides, those guys were pissing me off anyways…And sorry for making you cry." She then remembered the tears she shed.

"C-crying? I wasn't crying at all!" She exclaimed, although she knew clearly it was a lie.

"Well then." Harima said. He started to walk off, but was interrupted again.

"Wait!" Eri said loudly, "Where are you going?"

"I don't really know," Harima replied. "All I do know is that it's far away from here. Coming back has just pissed me off more." He then started to walk off again.

"Hige!" Eri shouted.

He kept walking.

"Kenji Harima!" She shouted even louder. It caught the attention of some people at the scene, but not him. She couldn't take it anymore. She ran up to him and embraced him from behind.

"Take…me with….you…" She muttered. There was a long pause. Then movement. He started to walk forward, leaving her behind. She was defeated, but then he spoke.

"Let's go then."

They then walked together.

Back at the scene, Yakumo was walking home from all of this mess. She was tired, and just wanted to go back home to Sarah and Iori. While she was heading back, she saw Eri and Harima walking away.

"_Harima…"_

See you in another FanFiction. Peace and love to you all~Rogeta


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